Medical News Today reported that data collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) USA found that 9% (7.6 million) of children across the USA are Vitamin D deficient while another 61% (50.8 million) are Vitamin D insufficient. Vitamin D for humans, is obtained from sun exposure, food, and supplements. The active form of Vitamin D in the body is called Calcitriol. It is needed in the development of strong healthy bones. Calcitriol promotes the absorption of Calcium and Phosphorous from the food in the gut and reabsorption of calcium in the kidneys, this increases the flow of calcium in the bloodstream. This is essential for the normal mineralization of bone and preventing hypocalcemic tetany. Hypocalcemic tetany is a low calcium condition in which the patient has overactive neurological reflexes, spasms of the hands and feet, and cramps and spasms of the voice box (larynx). Vitamin D also plays a key role in the maintenance of many organ systems.
Benefits of Vitamin D include:
- It is an immune regulator and may help arm against the common cold
- It may reduce the risk of developing Multiple Sclerosis
- It may have a key role in helping the brain to keep working well later into life
- Vitamin D is probably linked to maintaining healthy body weight
- It may reduce the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms
- It may reduce the risk of developing rheumatiod arthritis in women
- People with adequate levels of Vitamin D have a significant lower risk of developing cancer, compared to people with lower levels.
Vitamin D is found in dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil. The sun also contributes significantly to daily production of Vitamin D.
In adults, Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteomalacia, which results in muscular weakness in addition to weak bones. Populations who may be at high risk for vitamin D deficiencies include the elderly, obese individuals, exclusively breast fed infants, and those who have limited sun exposure. Also, individuals who have fat malabsorption syndroms (e.g. Cystic Fibrosis) or inflammatory bowl disease (e.g. Crohns disease) are at risk.